Kush Maini Controls Barcelona Sprint as Gabriele Minì Claims Second in Late Battle

ART Grand Prix driver Kush Maini delivered a commanding performance to win the Barcelona Sprint Race, leading all 26 laps to secure his third career Formula 2 victory. Starting on the front row alongside pole-sitter Noel Leon, Maini reacted faster when the lights went out, sweeping into the lead before Turn 1 and establishing an immediate buffer over the chasing pack. He managed the gap comfortably throughout, taking the chequered flag 7.269 seconds ahead of his nearest rival.

While Maini enjoyed an untroubled drive at the head of the field, the battle for the remaining podium places proved far more dramatic. Leon endured a difficult start from pole position, surrendering the lead instantly and quickly falling back into the clutches of the cars behind. Campos team-mate Nikola Tsolov capitalized on the opportunity, climbing from fifth on the grid to run third by lap three before snatching second place from Leon later in the same lap.

Championship leader Gabriele Minì was equally assertive during the opening stages for MP Motorsport. After executing a sharp pass around the outside of Hitech's Colton Herta to claim fourth place, the Italian driver seized on Leon's early struggles to complete another decisive move, promoting himself into the top three and setting off in pursuit of Tsolov.

Tsolov held second place for the majority of the race, maintaining a gap of just over four seconds behind Maini while keeping Minì at bay. However, as the race entered its final phase, Minì mounted intense pressure on the Campos car, keeping the gap minimal as both drivers pushed through the high-speed middle sector.

The duel reached its climax with three laps remaining into Turn 1. Minì launched a late attack around the outside, forcing his way past Tsolov to claim second. The two cars made brief contact during the battle, tearing off the left endplate of Tsolov's front wing and severely impairing the Bulgarian's front-end downforce for the final miles.

The aerodynamic damage left Tsolov vulnerable, and Herta swooped past to take third place, putting the American driver within touching distance of his maiden Formula 2 podium finish. That milestone slipped away on the final lap, however, when a braking error sent Herta off the circuit, handing the final spot on the podium back to Tsolov.

Leon crossed the line in fourth position ahead of Herta, while Invicta's Rafael Camara finished sixth. Dino Beganovic earned seventh place for DAMS, with Rodin driver Alex Dunne picking up the final point in eighth.

Further down the running order, Joshua Dürksen suffered a disappointing race after an incident sent his Invicta entry into the gravel trap. Stewards investigated the clash between Dürksen and Martinius Stenshorne, ultimately imposing a 10-second time penalty on Stenshorne for causing the collision.

Back to all Formula 2 news